Les

 Préludes:  The  programme  

The   full   title   of   the   piece,   Les   préludes   (d'après   Lamartine)   refers   to   an   Ode   from  
Alphonse  de  Lamartine's  Nouvelles  méditations  poétiques  of  1823.  
However,  the  piece  was  originally  conceived  as  the  overture  to  Les  quatre  élémens,  
settings  of  poems  by  Joseph  Autran,  which  itself  was  drawn  from  music  of  the  four  
choruses   of   the   cycle.   It   seems   that   Liszt   took   steps   to   obscure   the   origin   of   the  
piece,  and  that  this  included  the  destruction  of  the  original  overture's  title  page,  and  
the   re-­‐ascription   of   the   piece   to   Lamartine's   poem,   which   however,   does   not   itself  
contain  anything  like  the  music's  'question'.  
The   1856   published   score   includes   a   text   preface,   which   however   is   not   from  
Lamartine.  
What  else  is  our  life  but  a  series  of  preludes  to  that  unknown  Hymn,  the  
first  and  solemn  note  of  which  is  intoned  by  Death?—Love  is  the  glowing  
dawn   of   all   existence;   but   what   is   the   fate   where   the   first   delights   of  
happiness   are   not   interrupted   by   some   storm,   the   mortal   blast   of   which  
dissipates  its  fine  illusions,  the  fatal  lightning  of  which  consumes  its  altar;  
and   where   is   the   cruelly   wounded   soul   which,   on   issuing   from   one   of  
these   tempests,   does   not   endeavour   to   rest   his   recollection   in   the   calm  
serenity   of   life   in   the   fields?   Nevertheless   man   hardly   gives   himself   up   for  
long   to   the   enjoyment   of   the   beneficent   stillness   which   at   first   he   has  
shared  in  Nature's  bosom,  and  when  "the  trumpet  sounds  the  alarm",  he  
hastens,  to  the  dangerous  post,  whatever  the  war  may  be,  which  calls  him  
to   its   ranks,   in   order   at   last   to   recover   in   the   combat   full   consciousness   of  
himself  and  entire  possession  of  his  energy.  

The  earliest  version  of  this  preface  was  written  in  March  1854  by  Liszt's  companion  
Princess   Carolyne   zu   Sayn-­‐Wittgenstein.   This   version   comprises   voluminous  
reflections   of   the   Princess,   into   which   some   lines   of   quotations   from   the   ode   by  
Lamartine  are  incorporated.  It  was  drastically  shortened  for  publication  in  April  1856  
as  part  of  the  score;  there  only  the  sentence,  "the  trumpet  sounds  the  alarm"  and  
the  title  Les  préludes,  survive  from  Lamartine's  poem.  
A  different  version  of  the  preface  was  written  for  the  occasion  of  a  performance  of  
Les  préludes  on  December  6,  1855,  in  Berlin.  In  the  1855  version  the  connection  with  
Lamartine   is   reduced   to   his   alleged   query,   "What   else   is   our   life   but   a   series   of  
preludes   to   that   unknown   Hymn,   the   first   and   solemn   note   of   which   is   intoned   by  
Death?"   However   this   sentence   was   actually   written   not   by   Lamartine,   but   by  
Princess  Wittgenstein.  
For   the   occasion   of   a   performance   of   Les   préludes   on   April   30,   1860,   in   Prague   a  
further  version  of  the  preface  was  made.  This  version  was  probably  written  by  Hans  
von   Bülow,   who   directed   the   performance.   It   is   rather   short   and   contains   no  
reference   to   Lamartine   at   all.   According   to   this   version,   Les   préludes   illustrates   the  
development   of   a   man   from   his   early   youth   to   maturity.   In   this   interpretation,   Les  
préludes  may  be  taken  as  part  of  a  sketched  musical  autobiography.  
Liszt   himself,   in   a   letter   to   Eduard   Liszt   of   March   26,   1857,   gave   another   hint   with  
regard   to   the   title   Les   préludes.   According   to   this,   Les   préludes   represents   the  
prelude  to  Liszt's  own  path  of  composition.  
Much  of  the  music  of  Les  préludes  derives  from  Les  quatre  élémens  (1844/5).  These  
settings  were  later  orchestrated,  and  an  orchestral  overture  was  written  for  them.  It  
is  written  for  a  large  orchestra  of  strings,  woodwind,  brass  (including  tuba  and  bass  
trombone),   harp   and   a   variety   of   percussion   instruments   (timpani,   side   drum,   bass  
drum  and  cymbals).  It  comprises  the  following  sections:  
• Question  (Introduction  and  Andante  maestoso)  (bars  1–46)  
• Love  (bars  47–108)  
• Storm  (bars  109–181)  
• Bucolic  calm  (bars  182–344)  
• Battle  and  victory  (bars  345–420)  (including  recapitulation  of  'Question',  bar  
405  ff.)